The 8 Phases of EMDR
The 8 Phases of EMDR
Want to understand how EMDR actually works? Here’s a breakdown of the full process.
If you’ve heard of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and thought, "Wait, isn’t that the therapy with the finger-waving thing?"—you’re not wrong. But it’s also so much more than that.
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps people process and heal from trauma—without having to talk through every detail. It’s structured, it’s powerful, and for many people, it’s life-changing.
But how does it actually work? Let’s break down the 8 phases of EMDR in real-people language, not therapist-jargon.
Phase 1: History-Taking
This is where we start to get to know you—not just your past experiences, but your strengths, your support systems, and what’s going on in your life right now. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what you want help with, and whether EMDR is a good fit for you.
It’s not just a one-and-done session—we might spend a few sessions here, especially if you’ve got a complex history (which is most of us, honestly).
Phase 2: Preparation
This phase is all about safety and trust. We’ll make sure you have the tools to ground yourself, calm your nervous system, and stay present during EMDR. Think: breathing techniques, visualization, and learning how to tell when you’re starting to feel overwhelmed.
EMDR isn’t just about diving into trauma—it’s about doing it in a way that feels contained and empowering.
Phase 3: Assessment
Now we start to get specific. We identify the target memory (or memories) we’ll work on. This could be something big and obvious, like a car accident, or something that seems small but still stings—like a teacher embarrassing you in front of the class.
We look at:
The image or scene that represents the worst part
The negative belief you have about yourself related to it
How you’d like to believe about yourself instead
Emotions, body sensations, and how distressing it feels right now
It might sound clinical, but it’s basically just lining everything up so we know what we’re working with.
Phase 4: Desensitization
Here’s where the “reprocessing” begins.
This is the part where you follow bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, taps, or sounds), and your brain does what it’s naturally wired to do: make sense of what happened and store it in a healthier way.
People often say things like, “It doesn’t feel as intense anymore,” or “I can still remember it, but it doesn’t bother me the same way.”
It’s not magic—but it kind of feels like it.
Phase 5: Installation
Once the distress around the memory goes down, we focus on installing the positive belief you want to hold about yourself.
Maybe it’s:
“I’m safe now.”
“I did the best I could.”
“I’m not broken.”
We strengthen that belief and help your body really feel it.
Phase 6: Body Scan
Your body remembers stuff your brain might forget. So we do a full-body scan to see if there’s any leftover tension or discomfort linked to the memory. If something’s still hanging on, we process that too.
The goal is to get everything—thoughts, emotions, body sensations—on the same page.
Phase 7: Closure
Whether we finish processing a memory or need to pause partway through, we always close the session in a way that brings you back to the present. You’ll use those calming tools we practiced in Phase 2 to ground yourself again.
We want you to leave feeling stable—not emotionally flooded.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
At the start of the next session, we check in. How are you feeling about that memory now? Did anything new come up? Sometimes our brain pulls up other memories that feel connected, and that’s totally normal.
This is where we decide what to work on next—whether that’s continuing with the same memory or moving on to a new one.
TL;DR:
EMDR isn’t just about eye movements. It’s a structured process that helps you safely face and reprocess painful experiences, so they don’t keep running the show in your life. It’s about healing, empowerment, and finally getting some peace.
If you’re curious about EMDR, or you’ve tried all the other things and nothing has worked, this might be the missing piece.
You don’t have to carry it all forever. And you don’t have to do it alone.
At Fostering Fortitude, we specialize in providing personalized, evidence-based treatment for the unique challenges faced by high-performers and driven individuals. Whether you're grappling with perfectionism, people-pleasing tendencies, debilitating stress and burnout, or the lingering effects of trauma and PTSD, our practice in Dublin, Ohio is here to help you cultivate greater inner strength and resilience. Utilizing cutting-edge techniques like EMDR therapy, somatic interventions, and other evidence-based approaches, we'll work closely to address the deep-rooted issues underlying your struggles. We are experts merging the latest scientific research on stress, trauma, and relationships with a compassionate, client-centered approach. Schedule a free consultation.
